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Born Russell Jones on this day in 1968, Ol' Dirty Bastard helped make Wu-Tang Clan one of the most revered groups in hip-hop, and his solo debut, RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS, features bandmates GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa and RZA (who handles most of the production chores) lending a hand in return. If ODB's whacked-out, very explicit (“The Dirty Version” label is well-earned) rants may have seemed a side show under the Wu-Tang tent, they take impressive command of the center ring here – especially when framed in such irresistible tracks as “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Brooklyn Zoo.” Tapped by The Source magazine as one of the 100 best rap albums of all time, RETURN TO THE 36 CHAMBERS is Ol' Dirty Bastard at his most entertainingly delirious.

Founded by Sean "Diddy" Combs (aka Puff Daddy), Bad Boy Entertainment is a globally-celebrated music, media and entertainment company that has been a leader in hip-hop for more than 20 years, helping to launch the careers of rap and R&B heavyweights including Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Ma$e, Faith Evans, 112, Mario Winans and dozens of others. The new 80-track retrospective BAD BOY 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET EDITION revisits that legacy with such hits as "I Need A Girl," "Juicy," "I Don't Wanna Know," "Hypnotize," "Money, Power, Respect," "Peaches & Cream" and "Can't You See." "Bad Boy helped make hip hop what it is today - and this collection highlights all the music, history and vision that made Bad Boy number 1," notes Combs, who executive produced the 5-disc collection. Accompanied by a 64-page book, the BAD BOY 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET offers a 360-degree view of the rise of the label and its revolutionary sound.

One of hip-hop's most commanding performers, Missy Elliot extended an impressive winning streak with her fourth studio album, UNDER CONSTRUCTION. With longtime producer Timbaland serving up beats and old school samples, the rapper gets as nasty as she wants to be on “P***ycat” and the smash “Work It,” puts the haters in their place on “Gossip Folks” and pays heartfelt tribute to Aaliyah and Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes on “Can You Hear Me.” Such guests as Ludacris, Jay-Z and Beyoncé join the party on the 2002 Elektra release, which in addition to its commercial success, earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. We'll put the double-platinum UNDER CONSTRUCTION on the turntable today in honor of Missy Elliot's birthday.

Coolio ascended into the West Coast hip-hop pantheon in 1995 with the release of his second album, GANGSTA'S PARADISE. The chart-topping, Grammy-winning title track had turned heads earlier in the year when it appeared in the film Dangerous Minds, but gains even greater impact in the context of these 17 originals. Rapping over samples of R&B favorites by the likes of the Isley Brothers, Smokey Robinson and Billy Paul, Coolio serves up slices of life in the L.A. hood that are insightful and consistently memorable; "Geto Highlites," "1, 2, 3, 4 (Sumpin' New)" and "Too Hot" are just as strong as the set's iconic single. Surely Coolio's finest hour, the double-platinum GANGSTA'S PARADISE stands as one of the definitive rap albums of the 1990s.

Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G. met at a photo shoot in 1994 and were married nine days later in one of the most legendary love stories in hip-hop history. Twenty years after Biggie's still unsolved murder, Evans tells the story of their life together with THE KING & I. The album’s 25 tracks feature new vocals by Evans melded with recordings by her late husband along with an impressive list of guest appearances by rap royalty including Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Lil’ Kim, Sheek Louch, and Snoop Dogg. In addition to these stars, Biggie’s mother, Voletta Wallace, provides poignant narration across the album. “I remember telling Ms. Wallace years ago that one day it would be really dope if I could do something similar to Natalie & Nat King Cole’s UNFORGETTABLE,” says Evans, and with THE KING & I she has created something unforgettable for rap fans.

Though he had one previous solo album to his credit, it was Everlast's tenure with “Jump Around” hitmakers House Of Pain that had listeners awaiting WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES with such anticipation. The 1998 Tommy Boy collection goes way beyond standard-issue hip-hop, with heavy metal and acoustic blues thrown into the mix, and production that deftly deploys samples while maintaining a raw edge. The lyrics are as impressive as the sound on this set; if tracks like “Today (Watch Me Shine),” “Ends” or the Grammy-nominated “What It's Like” seem unusually thoughtful, it may be that the major heart surgery Everlast underwent during the making of this album served as a reality check. One of the performer's very best, the Top Ten, double-Platinum WHITEY FORD SINGS THE BLUES has just been reissued.

The Notorious B.I.G. rose quickly to the top of East Coast hip-hop with a brilliant debut; unfortunately, Biggie's reign was brief - he was killed in 1997 just weeks before the release of his follow-up album, LIFE AFTER DEATH. The acclaimed collection picks up right where READY TO DIE left off, and like its predecessor, is peopled with thugs and playas trying to survive some very mean streets. But for all its violent drama, the album also sets its sights on mainstream radio with the catchy beats of "Mo Money Mo Problems" and the unexpected optimism of “Sky's The Limit.” As befits its epic 24-track length, the set features a small army of talented producers (Sean "Puffy" Combs, RZA, Easy Mo Bee) and guest rappers (Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) while remaining the product of a singular vision. To mark its 20th anniversary, the diamond-certified LIFE AFTER DEATH has just been re-released on vinyl.

Released on this day in 1994, The Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album READY TO DIE is a landmark of East Coast gangsta rap. Biggie and producer Sean "Puffy" Combs had begun work on such songs as “Gimme the Loot,” “Things Done Changed” and the title track the preceding year for another label; by the time they returned to the studio to cut these versions, the rapper's confidence and flow had improved immeasurably. A look at the allure and danger of the thug life, the album tells its frequently grim tales with the cinematic detail and emotional perspective that could only come from a veteran of the streets. READY TO DIE has been cited by the likes of The Source, Rolling Stone and Time as one of the greatest albums of the 1990s; the remastered version adds bonus tracks “Who Shot Ya” and “Just Playing (Dreams)” to the original.

Born Earl Stevens on this day in 1967, E-40 is among the most prolific and inventive artists to emerge from the San Francisco Bay hip-hop scene in the 1990s. Following a string of releases for Jive and his own Sick Wid It label, the rapper signed with Warner Bros. for 2006's MY GHETTO REPORT CARD. With Lil Jon and Rick Rock handling the lion's share of production, the collection is an ideal showcase for the “hyphy” sound championed by E-40, and these 20 bass-heavy, slang-happy tracks include the hit singles “Tell Me When To Go” and “U And Dat.” With guest appearances from the likes of Too $hort, T-Pain and Keak Da Sneak, MY GHETTO REPORT CARD is one of E-40's most accessible albums and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard chart; we'll give it another spin to wish the rapper a happy birthday.

The Notorious B.I.G. rose quickly to the top of East Coast hip-hop with a brilliant debut; unfortunately, Biggie's reign was brief - he was killed just weeks before the release of follow-up album LIFE AFTER DEATH. The acclaimed collection picks up right where READY TO DIE left off, and like its predecessor, is peopled with thugs and playas trying to survive some very mean streets. As befits its epic 24-track length, the set features a small army of talented producers (Sean "Puffy" Combs, RZA, Easy Mo Bee) and guest rappers (Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony) while remaining the product of a singular vision. Though filled with violent drama, LIFE AFTER DEATH also sets its sights on mainstream radio with the catchy beats of "Mo Money Mo Problems,” the unexpected optimism of “Sky's The Limit” and “Hypnotize,” which became a posthumous #1 hit on this day in 1997.

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